To Forget
by Lucky Chan
Summary: Yusuke and Keiko forms an outrageous plan to pair Koenma and Botan up...yet Botan was very reluctant to go along. Why should she hope that Koenma likes her, for she's just a ferry girl? To top it off, someone is trying to kidnap her...
1. Default Chapter

Love is All That Matters By Misty Chapter 1 The sun was

To Forget

**by Misty**

**Chapter 1  
**   
The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze ruffled Botan's long blue hair, which was tied back in a ponytail.  
It was a perfect day for a nice, relaxing break. Botan sat comfortably on the grass, and leaned back on a tree behind her.  
She sighed. Yes, it did seem like a very nice day indeed, but she didn't feel very happy that moment.  
Did she say something wrong awhile ago? She didn't know what made Koenma so upset at her, when all she did was enter his office, and comment about that picture on his desk.   
She remembered that morning very clearly...  
  
  
She had knocked on the door to Koenma's office earlier that day. She was finally back from guiding another soul to her final destination, and she needed to report back to Koenma, the prince of the Rei Kai.   
She waited for quite a long time, but still, no one shouted, "Come in!" with that loud and authoritative voice she knew so well. She knocked again, yet no one replied.  
Maybe Koenma-sama's asleep or something, she thought. _ Maybe I should go in and wake him up...but what if he gets mad?_ She then shrugged. _ Oh, well, what the heck._  
She opened the door quietly, and went in. Koenma was there, seated, as usual, on his chair. His back was to her, but he didn't look as if he was sleeping. She was surprised to see him in his teenaged form. Was he going to the Ningen Kai?  
"Koenma-sama?" Botan said tentatively.  
"WHAT?" Koenma exclaimed, and he must have jumped four feet into the air in his surprise. He turned around sharply, and finally noticed that Botan was standing there.  
"Botan!" he said angrily. "What the heck are you doing here? Why didn't you even knock or something? Dammit, you almost gave me a heart attack!"  
"I'm sorry Koenma -sa-" Botan started to say automatically, then she stopped, frowning. Wait a minute, wasn't SHE the one who had the right to get mad? Koenma was such a bunch of nerves today. What was his problem?  
"But Koenma-sama," she protested indignantly. "But I did knock on your door. Twice, in fact. And you didn't even notice when I opened the door! Is something wrong?"  
"Uh...oh, sorry," Koenma said, and looked away.   
Silence fell between them. Botan just stood there, wondering about what Koenma had been so distracted about. Was a new enemy coming?  
Koenma finally broke the silence. "So what happened to that sould you guided?"  
"Well, she still seemed pretty sad to leave her family," Botan replied, returning to her old cheerfulness, "But in the end I was able to convince her-oh, goodness gracious, who's that?"  
She had spotted a small painting on Koenma's desk. She then grabbed it from the table, and admired the beautiful portrait.  
It was a painting of a pretty, young woman. She had long black hair, tied back into a half ponytail with a blue ribbon. She was wearing a sky blue kimono, and she had one of the most wonderful smiles Botan had ever seen.  
"She's really pretty," Botan gushed. She looked up, smiling, at Koenma.  
The color had drained out of Koenma's face, and he was staring at her with horrified eyes.  
"Koenma-sama? Are you okay?" Botan asked worriedly.  
"Who gave you the right to look at my things?" Koenma demanded angrily. "I didn't give you permission to look at that painting, right?!"  
Botan wanted to say that she was sorry, but no words came out, for she was so shocked.  
"GET OUT OF MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW!!!" Koenma barked.  
Botan backed out of the room. Koenma then slammed the door in her face.  
  
  
Botan sighed again, thinking of the incident. She had then gone here, to the Ningen Kai. She wanted to stay out of Koenma's way, and besides, she also wanted to have a good nice cry on Keiko's shoulder.  
But, unfortunately, Keiko was at the university, studying.  
She swallowed her tears, and got up. She decided to go back to the Rei Kai. Well, she couldn't go on avoiding Koenma forever.Besides, she had other duties to perform back there.  
She brushed the dirt from her pink kimono, and fixed her hair a bit. She brought out her paddle.  
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, somebody grabbed her by the waist, and carried her swiftly away.   
She screamed, terrified. She struggled to get free from the mysterious person who grabbed her, but she just couldn't get his hand away from her waist.  
And all she could do was scream again for help.  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

To Forget

**by Misty**

Chapter 2 

Botan hit the person with all her might, but the man didn't even flinch.

"Let me go!" Botan yelled in frustration. She studied her kidnapper carefully.

It was a man, she was sure of that. He was wearing some black clothing—_sort of like something a ninja would wear, _she thought. He wore a hood, and a piece of cloth covered most of his face, except for his eyes.

His eyes—Botan felt a shiver of fear. His eyes were yellow in color, and they showed no emotions…

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"Botan screamed again.

"You better shut up, if you know what's good for you," the man said coldly.

"What do you want from me?" Botan said hysterically, trying to free herself from the man's clutches.

The man got annoyed, and covered her mouth with his hand. "Shut up!" he ordered.

"I don't think that's any way to treat a woman," a deep voice said behind them.

They both turned at the sound of the voice. Botan felt a surge of hope. Somebody had come to save her!

The one who spoke was a young man, probably eighteen years of age. He had black hair, and royal blue eyes. Botan thought he looked pretty handsome, but right now, it was beside the point.

"Let the girl go!" the boy said.

"You have to fight me first," Botan's kidnapper challenged the young man.

The young boy jumped up, and appeared behind Botan's kidnapper. The latter, surprised, was not able to follow the young boy's movement.

The young man delivered a swift kick on the head of Botan's kidnapper. Startled, the hooded man dropped the blue-haired ferry girl.

Running swiftly, the boy caught Botan, and carried her to safety.

_Wow, he's fast, _Botan thought admiringly. _He kinda reminds me of Hiei. _

"Are you okay?" the young man asked, his blue eyes reflecting his concern.

"I'm fine, thank you," Botan said. "It's a good thing you came."

"I'm glad I was passing by," the boy said. He blushed slightly. "Um...if you don't mind...could you tell me your name?"

"My name is Botan," Botan said cheerfully. "And you?"

"Kawano Senkichi."

Senkichi smiled, and he kept running, until they arrived at a small restaurant. They went inside, so as to hide from the man who tried to kidnap her. He wouldn't dare kidnap her there, when there were so many people.

"Well, it was nice meeting you—" Botan said, then stopped. She suddenly realized that many people were staring at them.

Senkichi suddenly dropped her in surprise. "Oh, I didn't mean to hold you so long!" He laughed sheepishly, then remembered that he had dropped Botan.

She was on the floor, with a huge lump on her head. "You didn't have to drop me though," she sounded annoyed.

"Gomen," Senkichi said, and helped her up.

"So what's this? A new couple? Wait 'til Koenma-sama hears about this…" a voice piped up behind them.

Botan and Senkichi turned around. "Ayame-san!" Botan exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was looking for you," the black-haired woman replied. "You seemed pretty upset when you left. Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Botan said, avoiding Ayame's eyes. Well, she still wasn't okay, but if she told Ayame that, she'd also have to tell her about this morning's happening. And she wanted to forget about THAT.

"Well, let's go back then!" Ayame cheerfully said, and she took Botan's hand. She led the pretty blue-haired ferry girl outside. Botan waved goodbye to Senkichi, saying, "Thanks again for saving my life!"

When Senkichi was out of earshot, Ayame nudged Botan meaningfully. "Well, who was that guy? He's quite handsome, you know."

Botan then narrated to her all about Senkichi, and how he saved her life.

Koenma paced around his room nervously. Maybe he had been too hard on Botan. He shouldn't have shouted at her like that…

Why should he care, anyway? She was just an ordinary ferry girl…he sighed again. He knew very well that Botan was someone special, someone he really cared for.

She was the one person he loved so much.

He looked out the window, and saw that Ayame had returned. And—his heart gave a leap—Botan had come back, too. Hurriedly, he went outside.

"I do have admit, he is very handsome." He heard Botan say to Ayame as he arrived outside.

_Wait, _Koenma thought, and he stopped walking. _Who are they talking about? Me? _He smiled to himself. _Well, I really am handsome. Of course, why wouldn't they fall for me?Hmm…didn't know I could be such a heartbreaker, oh, dear… _

_Idiot! _A small voice inside him said. _Duh, they're talking about someone else, you narcissistic baka! _

Koenma snapped back to reality. _If they're talking about some other guy, who could that be? _Jealousy began to fill him. _Does Botan like some guy or something? Grr…he better not steal Botan away from me! _

_As if Botan's already your girlfriend, _the voice inside him said again. _You can't even tell her how you feel. Imbecile! Moron! Stupid— _

"SHUT UP!!!" Koenma yelled loudly. Foolish conscience! He began to strangle himself. "You don't have any right to call me names! What good are you—"

"Koenma-sama?"

Koenma turned beet-red, for he realized that Botan and Ayame were staring at him. "Uh-uh-w-well…"

"I think Koenma-sama's going insane," Botan whispered in Ayame's ear.

"I am not!" Koenma protested indignantly.

"Sure, I believe you."

"I assume you're sarcastic."

"Of course I am. After all, you did shout at me this morning, even when I didn't do anything that bad. Really, if anything's wrong, I think it would do you a whole lot of good if you confided to someone, Koenma-sama."

"Oh, Botan." Without even stopping to think, Koenma got Botan's hand. "I'm sorry I shouted at you this morning," he said earnestly. "I was just in a bad mood. Will you be able to forgive me?" He clasped Botan's hand lovingly.

Botan blushed, fully aware of the fact that Koenma was holding her hand. "Oh, um, it-it's okay, K-Koenma-s-sama," she stammered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's okay," Botan assured him. She laughed, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry, too, for all the things I said earlier. Really, why should you care so much?"

Koenma reddened slightly. "Uh…oh?" he said vaguely. "It's because—because…" _Say it, you moron! _But he just couldn't say it to her. _I like you, Botan…a lot, _he thought, yet no words came out.

"Uh…well, I gotta go!" he said evasively, and left the two girls staring after him.

Botan stared after him. _What was that?_ She thought, confused.

"You two sure seemed really seemed sweet back there," Ayame commented.

Botan turned around, suddenly remembering that Ayame was still standing beside her.

"Oh, Ayame-san," Botan said. "I know very well that Koenma likes you, and—"

"Koenma likes ME?!" Ayame interrupted, looking surprised.

"Of course! You had a date once, remember?"

"Oh, but YOU were the one who set us up," Ayame objected. "Koenma-sama wouldn't have asked me out on his own."

"Sure, but…" Botan tried to say something, but couldn't. Ayame was right; she WAS the one who took Koenma and Ayame for "a night in the town", just a few weeks ago. She then left the two of them in a restaurant, where the two had their date.

She didn't know what possessed her to do that. She knew very well that she had feelings for Koenma, but why should she set him up on a date with someone else? Maybe she just wanted to forget about what she felt for Koenma, for she knew that he barely knew she existed.Or if he did, he probably thought of her as just "one of those ferry girls".

"Botan, um, actually…" Ayame began. "We didn't have any romantic relationship whatsoever. All we did on that 'date' of ours was talk about you."

"Me?" Botan stared at Ayame. "You're lying!"

Ayame shook her head. "I'm telling the truth."

Botan still could not believe it. "But," she protested. "Shouldn't you have felt offended? I mean, he went on a date with you, and you only talked about me, and—"

"Iie, Botan," Ayame countered. "I know very well that Koenma likes you. Sheesh, I had known that for centuries! Besides, I love someone else." She blushed slightly.

"Someone else?" Botan fell thinking. Who could that guy be? If it's wasn't Koenma, then it could only be… "I know! You like George the oni!!!"

Ayame facefaulted, and bonked Botan in the head. "NO, YOU DUMMY!!!" she yelled.

She turned serious. "Anyway, Koenma really likes you, and I'm pretty sure you have feelings for him, too."

Botan's cheeks went pink. "But still…who was that person were talking about? I mean, the one you liked?"

"Don't try to change the topic," Ayame said good-naturedly. "Besides, it's not really important to know who he is. What we are talking about right now is about you and Koenma. Admit it, you like him!"

Botan blushed further. "Well…yes," she finally admitted.

Ayame smiled, and began to walk away. "That's good. You know what? I think you two were meant for each other. Besides, maybe you can help him forget."

Botan puzzled over Ayame's cryptic words. __Forget about what?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

To Forget

**by Misty**

Chapter 3

"Ayame-san really said that?!" Keiko exclaimed. 

It was a nice Saturday afternoon.Botan and Keiko were in the ramen house which Yusuke recently opened, and Botan had just filled Keiko in on what happened the day before.

"Well, yes," Botan replied. "But I still think she's lying."

"Oh, come on, Botan-chan," Keiko said, raising an eyebrow. "Why would she do that? Hmm…Koenma and Botan! Now that's one cute couple!"

"Keiko-chan!!!"Botan said reprovingly.

"The only thing is, Koenma's too chicken to tell Botan how he really feels." Botan and Keiko looked up, and saw that Yusuke was there, carrying a tray containing two bowls of noodles on it. "Special ramen for the ladies," he said, handing the bowls to the two girls.

"Well, you're right," Keiko said to Yusuke.

Yusuke looked at her, confused. "Right about what? The ramen?"

"I mean about Koenma, you moron!"

"Oh, I knew that," Yusuke stated. "I was just acting—"

Keiko rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway, maybe we need to push Koenma a bit. You know, make him jealous or something. Or—"

Botan wasn't listening anymore. Geez, she didn't really believe what Ayame said, for it was too impossible. Bored, she casually observed all the people in the ramen house, when suddenly she spotted a familiar young man in the crowd; a guy with short black hair and blue eyes…

"Senkichi!" Botan exclaimed, and rose from her chair.

The boy spotted her too, and walked towards her. "Hi! Botan!"

"This is such a nice coincidence," Senkichi said happily when he reached her. "Who'd have thought that I'd ever see you again? So how are you? Did anybody try to kidnap you again?"

Botan smiled. "Fortunately, no. I'm fine, thanks. What about you? How are things going?"

"Never been better. Well, I have to go back to my table now, I think my ramen's getting cold. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Hai," Botan said, and waved goodbye to him. "Ja mata!" She sat down again, and suddenly realized that Yusuke and Keiko were staring at her.

"Oh, that was Kawano Senkichi," Botan explained. "The guy who saved me yesterday, remember, Keiko?"

"Oh, okay," Keiko said, and she turned to Yusuke. "But Botan just met him yesterday! Isn't that sort of embarrassing?"

"No, of course not, Keiko,"Yusuke said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "He seems like a good sport. Besides, I"LL explain everything to him."

It was now Botan's turn to stare at THEM. "HUH?! WHAT IN THE NINGEN KAI ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

The two just ignored her. "But Yusuke…" Keiko protested, still looking doubtful.

"Trust me, Keiko," Yusuke said, and winked at the pretty brown haired girl. He turned to Botan. "I have found a surefire way to make Koenma finally admit to you that he likes you. You'll be thanking ME when you two get married!" He sauntered off towards Senkichi.

"WHAT?!" Botan yelled, still confused, and ran off to stop Yusuke. But she was too late, for Yusuke had already reached Senkichi.

_Great, _she thought. _What is Yusuke up to now? _

_ _

"NO!!! I WILL NOT DO IT!!!"

Botan glared at Yusuke. What an outrageous plan he had! Go on a date with Senkichi? Was he serious?

"Come on, Botan," Yusuke pleaded. "Just give it a shot."

"But what if it doesn't work?" Botan disputed. _Whoa! Wait a minute! _She thought. _What am I saying? Of course it won't work!!! _

"Of course it will work," Yusuke said, and he smirked. "Come on, why do you just quit denying it? You want to go along with the plan too!"

"Of course not!"

"But Botan," Yusuke argued. "Senkichi has already agreed. He said he'd be glad to help you out. Please, just give it a try! You just have to go on a date with Senkichi, and I assure you, Koenma would finally realize that he might lose you if he doesn't act immediately! So then, he'd finally tell you how he feels! Come on, don't be such a coward! This plan will work! It always does in love stories, don't they?"

Keiko glanced at him mischievously. "You mean you read love stories? Wow, wait 'til the other guys hear about this…"

"I DO NOT READ THOSE KIND OF STUFF!" Yusuke hollered indignantly. "I only know about that because of you!"

Botan and Keiko giggled.

Yusuke grunted in frustration. "Still, I'm sure my plan will work! Come on, Botan! It's just one date!"

Botan turned to Keiko for help.

"Well, I do think Yusuke has a good plan," Keiko started. "Even if he had been a little rash, he does have a point. Anyway, Senkichi DID agree."

Botan sat down and sulked. "Well, I'll do it then," she muttered half-heartedly.

"Great!" Yusuke said, and went back inside the kitchen.

"Are you mad at us?" Keiko asked Botan worriedly.

"No, I'm fine!" Botan said, and plastered a smile on her face. "Hey, it's no big deal."

But Keiko still didn't look convinced. "Oh."

Botan just laughed. But, really, she didn't feel so happy that moment. Going on a date with Senkichi was so embarrassing…it seemed such a desperate move. Besides, she knew Koenma wouldn't even care. Why should she keep hoping, anyway?

The next day, Koenma set off for the Ningen Kai to visit Yusuke. He had been rather surprised when Botan told him that Yusuke wanted to see him now, of all times. Was there some trouble or something?

_Hmph, _Koenma thought. _Yusuke just probably wants to ask a favor from me. _

He entered the place where he was supposed to meet Yusuke. It was a classy restaurant, a spot where you have to have a considerable amount of money to be able to eat there. Koenma hoped that his clothes were suitable enough to be able to enter there.

_This is weird. Why in the world would Yusuke make me come here? _

"Aha! Koenma is here!!!" somebody exclaimed, and suddenly, several people came up to him.

"Uh…er, what's this?" Koenma stammered. He stared at all of them. Kuwabara, Shizuru, Yukina, Kurama, Keiko and Yusuke stood there, giving him friendly smiles. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Koenma, nice surprise, eh?" Yusuke said. "We invited everyone to a reunion!" He felt proud of himself. This was certainly a nice excuse to get Koenma there!

"Uh, right," Koenma said, and he finally smiled. "This is great…" ,and then his smile faded. "Where's Botan?" he inquired, trying to keep his voice neutral.

All the others exchanged knowing glances.

"Oh, I think she's busy," Shizuru replied, unable to keep herself from smiling. "But don't worry, I think she's just nearby."

Botan really was just nearby. In fact, she was just a few meters away from them, sitting on a table with Senkichi.

She was wearing a fashionable sleeveless dress, which was lavender in color. Her hair, which had normally been in a ponytail, was worn loose, and her long blue tresses accentuated her clothing.

"Do I look terrible?" Botan asked Senkichi hysterically. "Is my dress okay? Is my hair okay? Am I—"

"Calm down," Senkichi said, cheerfully. "If you want our plan to work, you have to look as if you're enjoying our 'date'."

Botan relaxed. "Okay, I'll try," she replied. "This was so nice of you! Why did you agree to such a thing like this?"

"Oh I just wanted to help. Besides, it's fun," Senkichi stated.

_He's just so nice, _Botan thought. _Oh well. Though I hate to admit, I really want this thing to work out. _

_ _

_ _

"It's great to see you guys again!!!" Kuwabara's voice boomed all across the restaurant. "So how are you guys?"

"Not so loud Kazuma!" Shizuru hissed. "People are staring at us. We're in this really nice restaurant. You should remember your manners!"

Koenma grinned. "Well, some things never change."

"So Kurama," Yusuke asked the red-haired lad. "You still a bachelor?"

"Well, yes," Kurama admitted. "Oh, well, I guess I'll never be able to find the right girl for me."

"You're so picky," Shizuru remarked. "With that kind of attitude, you'll never be able to marry."

"As if you're not, sis?" Kuwabara quipped. "Look at you, so old and still single!"

"Shut up!!!" Shizuru bellowed, and punched Kuwabara in the face. "You no-good @#*!&@#$ Kind of a brother!!!" She would have beat him up further, had not the others restrained her.

Finally, everyone calmed down. "Yusuke, I suppose you're getting married soon," Koenma commented, glancing at Keiko meaningfully.

"Ha!" Yusuke said, as Keiko's face went red, "You'll go first, believe me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Koenma demanded. He looked away when he noticed Yusuke's teasing look, and saw something that made him almost fall off his chair.

Botan was sitting on a table nearby, and a boy was with him.

"WHO THE HECK IS THAT BOY?!" Koenma burst out. Jealousy rushed through his veins. Was Botan going on a date with this guy? How dare he?

He suddenly realized what he did, and his face went scarlet. He noticed that everyone was staring at him.

He couldn't bear to look at Botan's face. Mumbling an excuse, he left the restaurant.

"Yes! Our plan worked!" Yusuke said triumphantly, when Koenma was out of earshot. "Ha! He's so jealous! Now that—"

"Wait a minute Yusuke," Kurama objected quietly. "I only realized this now.What if he loses hope because he saw Botan with another guy?"

Yusuke stopped gloating. Why in the world did he not think of that?

"If it doesn't work," he said fiercely. "I'm going to MAKE Koenma tell Botan." He grabbed Keiko's hand and pulled her away. "Come on, Keiko, help me out on this one, will ya?" Without waiting for Keiko's reply, he turned to Botan. "Take us to the Rei Kai now! Keiko and I will give Koenma a pep talk he'll never forget."

"Yusuke!!!" Keiko tried to object, but Yusuke didn't listen to her.

"Rei Kai?" Senkichi said, perplexed.

"Uh, well, it's um, you see…" Kuwabara stammered, looking for a decent fib for Senkichi.

The waiter went over to their table. "Uh, sir," he said to Kuwabara. "Here is your bill."

Kuwabara glanced at it, and his eyes widened. "Hey! This is too much! Yusuke, why don't you pay this bill now?"

But Yusuke had already left, with Keiko and Botan in tow.__

For more Koenma and Botan fics, go to the site I run with Karina-chan, [Shall We Dance][1]!!!

   [1]: http://www.geocities.com/mistyandkarina/



	4. Chapter 4

To Forget

To Forget

**by Misty**

**Chapter 4 **

Koenma arrived in the Spirit World, still in his teenaged form. Normally he would have been in his younger form now, but really, he didn't feel so childish that moment. He actually felt more…mature, perhaps.

Botan. He really loved her, yet why had he been so stupid? Why didn't he even tell her how he felt?

He sat down rapidly on his chair, and as he did so, he knocked off some papers from his desk. He bent to pick them up.

And then, he noticed that he had also knocked off from his desk the portrait Botan saw a few days ago. He sat back down on his chair, still holding the portrait.

Memories came back to him, some happy, but most of them painful and sad. "Himawari…" he whispered.

And it then occurred to him: the reason why he couldn't tell Botan about his feelings was because he was afraid. He was afraid of feeling that pain of losing a loved one … again.

Yusuke, Keiko and Botan hid in an alley. Botan then brought out her paddle.

"Let's go!" Yusuke said, and hopped on the oar.

Suddenly, a dark figure stepped in front of them, and knocked Yusuke off the oar.

"Hey!" Yusuke yelled, and he fell to the ground. Keiko ran to him.

Botan stared at the man in front of her, an expression of fear on her face. She knew who that man was…

It was the same man who had tried to kidnap her before.

"You idiot! Are you looking for a fight?" Yusuke said crossly.

"I came for the girl," the man said gruffly.

Yusuke finally understood. "I won't let you get her!" He ran swiftly and tried to punch the man, but the man just avoided it.

The strange man kicked Yusuke in the stomach, and the poor boy slammed into a wall. With a swift movement, the guy grabbed Botan, and began to run away.

"Yusuke! Keiko!!!" Botan screamed. In horror, she realized that even Yusuke couldn't reach them, with the headstart her kidnapper had. There was absolutely no hope…

"I had to get you," the man said. "No wonder he likes you. You would have made a delicous meal for him."

Botan panicked upon the man's words. _Somebody's going to eat me! What a nasty way to die… _

Suddenly, something dropped out of the sky, and fell on her kidnapper's head.

Botan and her kidnapper fell to the ground. Yusuke finally reached them, and pulled Botan away. Suddenly he stopped, for he just realized what –or more correctly, who—was that "thing" that fell on the man's head.

"That hurts, Mukuro!!!" a short, good-looking young man with spiky black hair shouted to the heavens in anger.

"HIEI?!" Yusuke said incredulously. "What the heck are you doing here?!"

"Mukuro kicked me out of the Ma Kai," Hiei said irritably.

Botan giggled. "Literally?"

Hiei nodded.

"WHAT?!" Yusuke and Botan facefaulted.

"Hn."

Meanwhile, Keiko had finally caught up with them. "Are you guys all right? Where's that man who tried to kidnap Botan?"

"Oh, good heavens, I forgot about him!" Yusuke looked around him for Botan's kidnapper.

But the mysterious man had already gone.

Koenma sat up with a start. Someone was knocking on his door.

"Come in, Botan!" he yelled, his heart pounding. Had he fallen asleep somehow? He

wondered what Botan could want with him right now.

The door opened, and the girl walked in. Koenma turned to look at her, the realized something was wrong. Botan had…black hair?! He blinked again.

Standing there was Ayame. "It's me, Koenma-sama," she said, smiling. " Botan's not the only ferry girl around here, you know."

Koenma reddened. "Never mind," he managed to say. "What do you want?"

"Well then," Ayame began. "I didn't really mean to interfere, but this has gone on for so long."

"What is it about?"

Ayame looked at Koenma pointedly. "It's about … Botan."

"Oh."Koenma's face fell.

"Look, Koenma-sama," Ayame said. "You have loved Botan for hundreds of years now, yet you never really told her. Sheesh, you never even gave her at least a hint! I know you're afraid, but if you don't tell her soon, you really will lose her. Don't you see?"

Koenma kept silent, and turned his back on Ayame.

"Won't you please listen?" Ayame pleaded. "You see, Botan also—"

"Please, Ayame," Koenma said hoarsely. "I need some time alone."

With a last sad glance at Koenma, Ayame went out the door.

"KOENMA!!!" a voice boomed in the left end of the corridor.

Yusuke stomped angrily towards Koenma's office. Botan and Keiko desperately tried to hold him back.

"Don't try to stop me!" Yusuke yelled. "I need to talk to Koenma about Botan! He's such a coward! Is it really that hard to tell her how much he cares for her?"

Ayame walked towards them. "It really is hard for him, Yusuke-san."

"Why?!"

"Something happened to him a long time ago." Ayame said, eyes downcast. "Something really tragic."

Botan looked up at her, her face full of concern. "Really? What happened?"

Ayame motioned for them to follow her. The other three glanced at each other, and they walked towards the black-haired ferry girl.

They arrived at a small storeroom. Ayame stooped down, and got something from a pile of rubbish in one corner of the room. She handed that object to Yusuke.

It turned out to be a small portrait. On the left was Koenma, and beside him was a smiling, pretty woman.

Botan recognized the girl right away. "She's the girl I saw on the portrait on Koenma's desk."

Ayame nodded. "She was Koenma's former fiancee."

"WHAT?!" the other three exclaimed in unison.

"Her name is Himawari," Ayame said. "She was once a ferry girl, just like you and me, Botan."

Her eyes softened. "She was a very good friend of mine. She was a very beautiful woman, and she had a really nice smile. Hmm… come to think of it, she was just like you, Botan-chan."

"Then what happened?" Yusuke said impatiently, and Keiko nudged him.

"Well, she and Koenma became very good friends, and eventually, became sweethearts. Soon, they arranged their wedding. All across the Rei Kai was a great rejoicing, and Enma-sama, though he hated to admit it, was happy to have some grandchildren. And then—disaster struck."

"The day of the wedding came, and we were just waiting for Himawari to arrive. Yet she never came. Koenma became very alarmed, and asked all of us to search the whole Rei Kai for her."

"We couldn't find her anywhere. The wedding was called off, and Koenma himself went to the Ningen Kai to look for her. And find her he did."

"He saw her with another guy?" Botan speculated.

"Worse," Ayame replied. "He found her dead body."

Botan's eyes grew wide with shock, and even Yusuke looked disturbed. Keiko held on to Yusuke for support, for it surprised her as well.

"He brought her body back to the Rei Kai, and buried her there. Strange though, because she is from the Rei Kai, no one should have killed her in the normal way. Or worse, that person ate her spirit." Ayame shivered. " Koenma hasn't been the same ever since. When he returned to the Rei Kai that day, he locked himself in his room for weeks. And when he finally did come out, he was suddenly in that toddler form of his."

"You mean, he didn't have that form before?" Keiko asked.

"Yes. You see, he originally didn't have that form before. He always looked just like a normal teenager then."

"Anyway," Ayame added, " I think Koenma-sama was traumatized by Himawari's death. That's why he has that toddler form. He's convinced himself that by looking (and acting) like a child, he wouldn't feel that pain again. The pain that comes when you lose a loved one. And I think that he couldn't tell Botan how he felt because he's afraid that he might lose you, just like he lost Himawari. He probably thinks that he might as well forget about love, so as to shield himself."

Silence reigned in the room. Botan felt tears coming down her cheeks. She felt pity for Koenma. To lose the one he loves on a day which was supposed to be happiest days of his life… it was so tragic.

_Poor Koenma-sama._


	5. Chapter 5

To Forget

To Forget

**by Misty**

**Chapter 5 **

****Yusuke, Keiko and Botan soon returned to the restaurant. The whole gang was there, even Hiei, and were waiting for them.

"Hi guys!" Kuwabara greeted them. "Why the glum faces? Did somebody die?"

Botan grimaced. "Uh, well, not exactly. Hey, where's Senkichi?"

"He left already," Kurama replied. "Said he needed to go somewhere."

"So what happened at Koenma's?" Shizuru asked curiously.

"Oh," Yusuke frowned. "Let's go for a walk. I'll tell you what happened along the way." He lead the way outside.

"Yusuke has some gossip for us," Keiko said, grinning.

"I DO NOT gossip, Keiko," Yusuke said crossly. "I'm just giving you guys information. There's a big difference."

"Heh, that's just a euphemism."

"Are you really my best friend, or what?"

Everyone sighed as the two continued to bicker. "It's as if they're already married, ne?" Shizuru commented.

"Ha," Kuwabara retorted. "As if you know how it is to be married, sis."

"Why you—"

Botan ignored the fights around her, for she was still thinking about what Ayame said earlier. _Maybe there is someway I can help Koenma-sama, _she thought. _Oh, if only— _

"Botan-san…"

Botan whirled around, and was surprised to see Senkichi behind her. "Come," the boy whispered. "I have something to tell you."

"Oh, what?"

Senkichi blushed. "It's kinda private."

"Oh, okay," Botan said cheerfully. She followed Senkichi into an alley nearby.

The others, meanwhile, had not noticed that Botan left. Kuwabara and Shizuru were still fighting, and Kurama was trying to calm them down.

Hiei grunted in frustration. Why in the world did he choose to stay with these idiotic companions of his? They were really getting on his nerves.

On the other hand, at least he would be able to protect Yukina, his sister, if he stayed there. Besides, even if he was annoyed at these people, one way or the other, he he sort of liked being there with them.

He saw Botan follow a certain black-haired guy he didn't recognize. He decided to follow her, when something else caught his eye.

It was the same guy he fell on top of earlier. The man saw that Hiei was watching him, and started to flee. Hiei quickly ran after the man.

"Hey, where is Hiei-san going?" Yukina asked innocently.

Yusuke glanced at the departing Hiei. "Looks like he's chasing someone," he stated. "Oi, wait! That guy he's chasing—seems like the one who tried to kidnap Botan this morning!"

The others stared at him in alarm. "Keiko," he ordered. "Stay here with the other girls. Kurama, Kuwabara, you could come with me if you want."

Yusuke quickly followed Hiei, with Kurama and Kuwabara right behind him.

Koenma, still in his teenaged form, sat in his office silently. Suddenly, someone knocked on his door.

"Go away," Koenma said curtly. "I'm busy."

"We have news for you, Koenma-sama," a deep voice answered. "We have finally solved the case."

Koenma straightened, and said, "Come in then."

In came four burly men. They all bowed to the Rei Kai prince in respect. One of them spoke up. "Greetings, honorable prince of the Astral World. For many centuries we have—"

"Forgive me for being rude, but cut the crap," Koenma interrupted. "Get to the point."

"We have found your wife's murderer."

Koenma flinched at the word "wife". _She's not my wife, _Koenma thought bitterly. _She could have been, but she died. _

"He is a spirit-eating youkai. No one knows what he really looks like, nor does anyone know his real name. But we have been able to get hold of a picture of him. It is the disguise he assumed recently."

Koenma stared at the picture the man held in his hand. "But that's—that's—"

He stood up rapidly, and hurried out of the door, his heart beating rapidly. _Botan is in grave danger, _he thought frantically. _I have to save her… _

_ _

They came to a stop inside a dark alley. Botan leaned on the wall, waiting for Senkichi to speak.

"Um, Botan," the young man said. "I know this may seem sudden, but… I like you, Botan."

"What?!" Botan blurted out, aghast.

Senkichi pulled her into a tight embrace. "You are such a wonderful person, Botan. That's why I admire you so."

"But Senkichi…"

"I love you, Botan."

Botan struggled to speak. "But, you see…"

"You can't wait for Koenma forever," Senkichi reproached her quietly. "Why can't you notice that there are other guys out there who like you? And I'm one of them."

Botan thought about this. _What if maybe he's right? Senkichi is very nice, and I think he's a pretty good guy. What if…maybe it was wrong for me to wait for Koenma-sama? What if all Ayame said was a lie? Maybe Koenma-sama doesn't even like me at all. _

Senkichi's face leaned towards hers, ready to kiss her on the lips.

An image of Koenma suddenly flashed before Botan. _No, this is wrong, _another part of her brain said. _I have only known Senkichi for two days! And I have known Koenma-sama for centuries. And because of that, I know almost everything about him! We have gone through a lot. And even if it takes forever, I will wait for him. _

At the moment when Senkichi's lips almost touched hers, she turned away.

Hiei finally caught up with the man. He tackled the man.

The stranger lost his balance, and fell onto the ground. Yusuke used the opportunity to grab the man. He rained punches on the man's head.

"You idiot!!! You no-good, cowardly, b—"

"Stop that, Yusuke," Hiei ordered. "Release him at once."

Yusuke halted in surprise. "HUH?!"

"He looks familiar to me."

"Well, okay." Yusuke released the guy reluctantly.

Hiei stepped over to the man, and pulled off his hood.

Dark blue hair was exposed from the man's head. His face was full of scars, and the man had a tough, determined expression on his face.

"Hn. It's you, Aoi."

"Hiei," the man named Aoi said. "I can't say it's good to see you again."

"What are you doing here? This is so unlike you, kidnapping a girl."

"I'm NOT kidnapping her. I was trying to protect her."

"Hn."

"Wait!" Yusuke interrupted. "Could you please explain to us lowly beings what the heck are you talking about?"

"Since I know Hiei's not good at explanations," Aoi said. "I'll tell you who I am."

"My name is Aoi."

"Yeah, we know that," Yusuke muttered under his breath.

Aoi continued. "I am from the Ma Kai, though what my powers are I shall not disclose to you. I have sworn to the graves of my parents that I would kill all evil youkais and protect the innocent."

"Sorta like Batman?" Kuwabara asked.

Aoi ignored him, just as everyone did. "I caught Hiei killing some civilians in order to steal some jewels from them. I chased him all over the Ma Kai, and I managed to battle him one day. But then he wounded me, and left me to die. But I survived."

"That still doesn't answer our question," Yusuke said, getting more impatient by the minute.

"Patience, kid," Aoi snapped. ("Kid?!" Yusuke protested indignantly, and would have hit Aoi in the face, had not Kurama stopped him.) "I am hunting this certain youkai, who likes to eat spirits. He usually seduces his victims first, and takes away their spirit with one deadly kiss. This girl Botan is his next victim. I wasn't trying to kidnap her, I was taking her away to a safe place, where the youkai can't reach her. But because you interfered, the youkai still got close to her."

"Well, who IS the youkai?!" Kuwabara exploded.

Kurama's and Hiei's eyes widened as it finally hit them. They left the others, going towards where the girls were waiting.

Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at each other, both clueless.

"Who IS the youkai?"

Botan stepped out of Senkichi's embrace. "I'm sorry, Senkichi," she said sadly. "I love Koenma-sama. And I always will."

"No," Senkichi said despairingly. "This is impossible—"

"I'm really, really sorry," Botan said sympathetically. She patted him gently on the head. "Don't worry, there are other girls—"

But she never got to finish her sentence, for Senkichi suddenly leapt up, and grabbed her shoulders. "This is impossible!" the boy shouted, a nasty expression on his face. "No one has EVER resisted my charms before!"

Botan stared at Senkichi, horrified. This wasn't the Senkichi she once knew. This was a monster… 

"Darn you, woman! Why can't you fall for me?" Senkichi shook her violently.

Panic rose in Botan's throat. She struggled to get free, but Senkichi pinned her to the wall.

"Well, if you can't go with me willingly," Senkichi said, a wicked grin on his face, "I'll TAKE your spirit by force. I really think you'd make a delicious meal for me."

_A meal? My spirit? _Botan remembered Himawari. _The youkai who ate her spirit must be like Senkichi…oh, good heavens, I don't want to die yet! _Instinctively, Botan brought out her paddle. With all her strength, she bashed Senkichi on the head with her oar.

The blow took him by surprise, and he staggered backwards. Botan used the opportunity to run.

Senkichi was overcome with fury. "You will not get away from me!" he yelled. He gathered some energy in his hand to make a spirit ball. He threw the ball towards Botan, and it hit its target.

With an agonized scream, Botan dropped towards the ground.

Botan felt pain all over her body. _What is this? _She thought. It felt as if a thousand spirits clutched to her body, screaming for help. It drained all her energy, and she could barely move.

"My power comes from the spirits which I devoured before," Senkichi said smugly. "That's why it's so darn powerful. It could even stun someone like you, who's used to dealing with spirits. But don't worry sweetheart,it'll soon be over."

Senkichi leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

Botan felt her spirit separating from body. _No I can't go…I don't want to leave yet… _

_Koenma-sama… _

_ _

_ _

Koenma didn't know why he headed towards that dark alley. Was it instinct? Some sort of psychic connection? He couldn't figure it out, but he went towards it anyway. _Botan is in here…_Koenma thought. _I know. _

He was right.

Satisfied, Senkichi released Botan. Her limp body fell to the cold ground. He then saw Koenma standing there, a shocked expression on his face. "Ah. If it isn't the Rei Kai prince."

Koenma clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on Botan. "What have you done to her?"

"Oh, I just ate her spirit, that's all," Senkichi said, a wicked grin on her face. He patted his stomach. "Her spirit's right here. She'll be part of my ki soon. Hmm…she was so delicious."

Two small drops of tears fell from Koenma's eyes. "I… will… never forgive you…"

"Rei Kai ferry girls are such a delicacy to me," Senkichi went on. "I ate the spirit of another ferry girl a long time ago. She was so pretty. I still remember those lovely eyes of hers, and that smile…her soft, tender lips. I can still remember her innocent, loving eyes, and that wonderful, passionate kiss we shared…"

"You bastard!!!" Koenma spat angrily. He couldn't contain his fury anymore. He raced up to Senkichi, and delivered a swift blow to the boy's face.

Senkichi swerved to avoid the blow. He held up his hand, and formed a red spirit ball. He threw the ball to Koenma.

Koenma slammed on the wall because of the force of the spirit ball. He screamed in agony, feeling pain all over his body. Nevertheless, he forced himself to stand up.

Senkichi smiled. "Guess you're not a Rei Kai prince for nothing. You really are strong. Maybe I should increase my power then!"

He gathered more power, and threw a bigger ball at Koenma.Koenma evaded the ball, when suddenly, he was hit by another.

He slumped to the ground, the pain increasing. He tried to stand up, but couldn't.

Senkichi made another, bigger ball in his hand. "What a pity. Your beloved Botan died before you could tell her your feelings. Too bad."

_This is my fault, _Koenma thought in grief. _I'm so sorry, Botan… I could try to defeat him, but it will never bring you back. Why was I so stupid? _

_But still…I have to stay strong. I need to beat Senkichi. For Botan's sake. _

Senkichi released the ball towards him.

"I can never let you win!' With this cry, Koenma popped his pacifier out of his mouth. He began to collect power from this.

"Fuumaken power!!!" He released the energy.

The two forces met at the center. Senkichi looked surprised, and he released another ball to counteract the energy coming from Koenma. But Koenma, his power strengthened by his determination to win, emerged as the victor.

His power overcame Senkichi's spirit ball, and made its way towards the spirit-eating youkai.

"NOOOOOO!!!!" was Senkichi's final cry, and he vaporized into nothingness.

Koenma managed to crawl to Botan's side, ignoring the ache in his body. He took her into his arms, and held her close to him.

"I'm sorry, Botan… I should have told you…" he wept silently. " Aishiteru, Botan…aishiteru…" But he knew that even if he said these words now, she would never even hear him, for she was now gone, forever.

"Koenma-sama…"

Koenma jerked back. Was that his imagination playing tricks on him? He looked at Botan in surprise.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Koenma-sama?"

"Botan, you're alive!!!" Koenma cried tearfully. He embraced her tenderly. "You're alive… you had me worried back there…"

"Koenma-sama!!!" Botan sobbed. "It was so horrible! My spirit felt as if it was being torn apart, I never knew such pain existed…"

Koenma tried to reassure her. "It's okay now, you're going to be fine. I'm here…with you."

Botan nodded.

_Maybe it's because she hasn't been in Senkichi long enough, that's why she's still alive. Maybe she hasn't been fully digested yet, or something. _Koenma winced at the thought of Botan's spirit being digested. _Whatever the reason is, I'm glad she was able to get free. _

"Botan, I had thought it was too late to tell you this," he said softly. "But I'm glad it's not yet too late…Aishiteru, Botan."

Botan looked at him, surprised.

"Well, maybe you don't feel the same way," Koenma said sadly. "It's okay. I would just like to have it in the open, so I could at least—"

He never got to finish, for Botan unexpectedly kissed him. "That's my answer," she said shyly. Koenma's face reddened in embarrassment, and he managed to stammer out a "Oh."

"I told you that you'll be thanking ME when you two get married!!!"

Koenma and Botan jumped. "Yusuke?!" they said in unison.

Yusuke stood there, grinning. Behind him were Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Yukina, Keiko, and Shizuru.

Shizuru smacked her forehead in exasperation. "Geez, Yusuke really has such bad timings."

Yusuke grinned, for he did not hear what Shizuru said. "Let's hear it for Koenma and Botan!!!" he cheered. The others gave a happy cry. They all rushed towards the couple, giving their congratulations.

Keiko hugged Botan. "I'm so happy for you, Botan-chan!"

"Well, if they're all getting married," Kuwabara said, turning to Yukina. "What do you say we get married, Yukina-san?"

Hiei threw an icy glance at Kuwabara, which the latter did not notice, for he was busy grinning at Yukina.

Koenma smiled. _Finally, this is all over._

"Good luck, Koenma-chan."

Koenma looked up, startled. Great, he was hearing things again. Or was he? He could have sworn he had heard Himawari's voice just now.

He silently bid Himawari goodbye. He could finally move on now. Perhaps a small part of him will always love her, but she was of the past, and he knew he would never see her again. He had a new life now, a life that he would live with Botan.

Yusuke and the others started to walk away, chatting happily (with the exception of Hiei, of course). Botan and Koenma glanced at each other, and they followed, holding each other, hand in hand.

~end~


End file.
